Hakeem Jeffries set to become first Black House speaker

Democrat Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House after Democrats won majority control in the midterm elections, with a vote by colleagues scheduled for January 3. Jeffries, a 56-year-old Brooklyn-born lawyer serving since 2013, would replace Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and lead a party eager to confront President Donald Trump. He has promised a 100-day agenda focused on lowering living costs and holding the administration accountable through oversight and investigations. The son of an Air Force veteran and social worker, Jeffries represents a district once held by Shirley Chisholm and follows in the footsteps of Joseph Rainey, the first Black lawmaker to preside over the House in 1870.